Nobody's Love
by Beguiling Angel
Summary: Okay, I'm not a particularly good writer, and this is my first story. If it blows, sorry. If it doesn't, great!
1. Chapter 1

_Chapter One: Ring Around the Rosy_

We were walking through a grove of roses under the Harvest Moon. Lydia and I never missed it, and we always spent it together. Before we knew it, Heartless had surrounded us in growing numbers. Ten, twenty, thirty… all just piling up on one another. Bloodthirsty and hysteric, the bravest (and smallest) heartless jumped through the wall of its companions and, quite simply, stole Lydia's heart. Shrieking and crying I ran to her body, lying still on the ground.

Lydia was like my older sister. Having no family of my own to speak of, she was everything to me. Without even realizing what I was doing, I put my hand to my chest and put the other one to hers. I gave Lydia my heart, and subsequently blacked out. When I awoke in the house me and Lydia lived in with her Grandmother, my first thought was plain and simple.

'How am I alive?' Before I could move, Lydia entered. Her scarlet hair trailed down to her waist, and her emerald eyes were set on me.

"_Hey."_ She gestured. Lydia, being mute, couldn't speak, but was vivid in her motions and pictures.

"I gave you my heart. How am I….?" My voice trailed off.

"_It all makes sense, really. You're a Nobody now."_ Though it was a shock, I wasn't too pestered by the thought of not having a heart.

"But how did you get out? We were surrounded."

"_**He**__ came."_ Past Lydia, standing in the doorway, I could see one of the infamous members of Organization XIII. Marluxia, No. XI, was standing there in all his glory and malice. He was as all the stories described: Tall, strong, thin, fair-skinned, and above all, regal. No flower in the land was more unique than he.

"I'll be direct with my task. Quite simply, now that you're a Nobody, I am ordered to take you into the Organization." Marluxia spoke boldly, yet somehow comfortingly. Then Lydia gestured to me, crying silently.

"_Do what you've got to do. I love you, Eon."_ She helped me off the bed. I was wobbly, but I could still walk. Fixing my brown hair so that the bangs were over my left eye, I took a few steps forward.

"I love you too, Lydia." I gave her a tight hug, and departed with Marluxia.

Marluxia and I had barely gotten a move on when he stopped me.

"Now that you're a Nobody, you can travel with us." He pointed toward the ground, and a black and purple vortex appeared. "These are Dark Corridors. Normal people like your sister can't use them without severe consequences, but since we don't have hearts, we're fine." Leaving my side, Marluxia stepped into the swirling Corridor. Nervously, my footsteps followed his into the Dark Corridor. I clamped my eyes shut, and I waited for some sort of excruciating pain, but I felt only a cool breeze.

"Welcome to the Castle That Never Was." I opened my eyes to see the various members of Organization XIII standing in front of a black, white, and grey castle floating in the air in the center of a crater in the city. Looking at each Nobody with wide eyes, I recalled their names in my head. Xemnas, Xigbar, Xaldin, Vexen, Lexaeus, Zexion, Saїx, Demyx, Lirexe, and Borynx. All were incredibly strong, and all of them had even stronger wills. Ever since the group had temporarily disbanded, members had been gained and lost. The one who had addressed me was presumably Xemnas, No. I and leader of Organization XIII.

"I assume you know most of our names?" Xemnas said calmly. His glaring yellow eyes seemed so charp they could stab me, yet his silvery hair calmed me down. "Yes? No?" I nodded submissively. Just being around the group made me feel inferior, and the fact that I was in black shorts and a t-shirt didn't help much, either. "What might we call you?" I was well aware of the naming system of Organization XIII. Basically, they take your original name, scramble it up, and throw in an 'x'. Before I could answer Xemnas, Vexen interupted with a quiet, hysterical giggle.

"Your name was Eon, right?" I nodded. Turning to Xemnas, he asked inquisitively. "What about Noxe?" I suppose I didn't mind the name, as I remained silent.

"Very well, Noxe. We'll have Zexion take you to your room." With a sigh, Zexion closed his Lexicon and began walking down a corridor. Slowly but surely, I continued walking after him.


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter Two: The Castle That Never Was_

Walking swiftly through the castle, I followed Zexion through a number of corridors before I was lead to a door labeled XVI. Opening his Lexicon yet again, Zexion leaned against the wall, enabling me to observe him closer. He had dark silver hair cast over his right eye. His eyes matched in a similar expressionless blue.

"This is your room. Inside, you'll find a castle map, your uniform, and a schedule." His voice wasn't quite monotone, but there wasn't much emotion. "Your training begins tomorrow at 11:00 in the garden. Your teacher will remain undecided until then."

Turning to look at the door, I was overwhelmed. A tear snuck out of my eye, and when I turned to Zexion for comfort, he was gone. Nothing was left to do but go inside.

Upon opening the door, I saw a room painted entirely black. To my right was a bed with a white comforter and black pillows. Past it on the same wall was a white wardrobe, presumably containing my uniform. On the other side of the room, there was a clock and a white table. The table, long and thin, had nothing on it but a single bouquet of roses.

Thinking to myself, I couldn't help crying. What was I doing here? How could I simply go off to a castle in the middle of nowhere, leaving everything I held dear behind? I still had countless pieces to put in the puzzle, and I was worlds away from Lydia—literally. Looking at the clock, it was 7:00. Normally, I don't even start to get tired until 9:00, but time didn't matter to me. I curled up on top of the bed and squeezed a pillow as tight as I could.

When I woke up in the morning, it was 6:30. As early as it was, I wasn't even sleepy. I got up and opened the wardrobe. Like Zexion had said, there was an Organization XIII uniform, a castle map, and a schedule. I skimmed through the schedule and grabbed the uniform and the map. Following halls and corridors alike with a few small errors, I reached a bathroom. Checking to see that none of the Nobodies were around, I went inside, took off my clothes, and hopped in the shower.

When I got out, I felt calmer about the situation and, overall, I was refreshed. I donned my char-black uniform and put my other clothes back in my room. By now the clock read 10:30. With just enough time to get to the garden, I departed my room for the garden.

"Welcome, Noxe." Xemnas greeted me with his usual condescending tone. This time, I had the courage to raise my voice.

"Good morning, Xemnas." He seemed pleased that I was becoming used to the castle and its inhabitants.

"Now, who will be your teacher?" He turned to the party behind him. All of the Nobodies were standing in line with blank expressions. He walked past them and stopped at Marluxia. "No. XI, Marluxia. Will you train our new…" he paused to think of a word. "…_companion_." He said with a smile. In my head, I thought that, when referring to Organization XIII, the word 'tool' would sum me up.

"Yes, Xemnas."

"Very good. You are dismissed." Xigbar raised his hand, and Xemnas disappeared, along with the rest of the Nobodies, leaving me and Marluxia alone.

"Now then…" he said with a small smile. "Where shall we begin?"


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter Three: The Force of Darkness_

I was completely out of breath. Marluxia had decided to start with physical training. Running, attacking, and guarding blows were what my training was composed of. Right now, I was punching and kicking at what looked like crash dummies that weren't too popular with Vlad the Impaler. Breathing heavily, I stopped moving for a moment.

"How come… I don't get… a weapon?" I panted out.

"Hmmm… good question." He turned and gestured for me to follow. "Shall we?"

It turned out that he was bringing me to Xaldin. Xaldin's eyes were a cloudy and secretive dark purple, and his long black hair matched the theme they created.

"What brings you here?" Xaldin asked in an irritable tone. Either he didn't like newbies like me, or he didn't like Marluxia. Or both.

"Noxe needs a weapon for training. Have anything in mind?"

"It depends… what's his power?" Xaldin brought a good point. All Nobodies had a power. Vexen's was ice, Demyx's was water, Marluxia's was plant life… what was mine?

"Well, it turns out…" Marluxia started.

"You don't know his power?" Xaldin seemed ready to eat us alive. "Go to Demyx. He should be able to help you. When you're done, come back, and I'll give you a weapon." Marluxia started to walk again, presumably toward Demyx. I followed along nervously. When Marluxia stopped walking, we were in the courtyard. There was a small stream running through it, along with several medium-sized trees around its edges. Music from Demyx's sitar was flowing softly through the air.

"Well, well, well! What have we here?" Demyx said in an egotistical tone. "Let me guess…"

"I'll spare myself the boredom. We need to know Noxe's power." Marluxia said. To him, I was probably more trouble than I was worth.

"All right. Take a seat _here_." He waved his finger toward a spot on the ground in front of him. I sat down as I was told.

"So… how does this work?"

"Just sit calmly. Let your mind drift away. You don't have a worry in the world…" his voice was drifting away. Softer than ever, I heard his voice. It sounded like it was a mile away.

"What do you see?"

Nothing. I saw nothing but the night sky. Around me was an eternal darkness, blacker than the darkest abyss.

"Darkness… I see darkness." I said. Before I could say anything else, I was back in the courtyard. Demyx was speaking to Marluxia.

"You might have to train him more before giving him a weapon. Darkness is probably going to be a toughy." Marluxia sighed.

We returned to the castle grounds to begin training a second time.

"All right. I want you to close your eyes and focus on your power. You got it? All right. Now, I want you to open your eyes and try to use your powers."

"How exactly do I do that?"

"You can't explain it. It… it just happens." Great. My instructor wasn't telling me how to do what I _had_ to do. I decided to try anyway. I opened my eyes and thought. Dark. Black. Indescribable night.

When I opened my eyes, I pointed my finger at a practice dummy and kept thinking. Instantly, a pitch black surge of darkness erupted from my fingertip, blasting the dummy into oblivion. I started freaking out.

"Did you see that? I mean, did you see that? Holy shit!" Marluxia was giving me a smirk.

"Perhaps this won't be _so_ boring after all." When training wrapped up, I went back to my room. Sitting on my bed, I couldn't fall asleep. _I_ was able to make that happen. _I _had a power that nobody else had. Finally, as the clock struck four, I was able to fall asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter Four: Devastation_

The next day, Marluxia and I went back to Xaldin. Marluxia seemed a little nervous for something, though I couldn't put my finger on what. He was always darting his bright blue eyes back and forth, but his expression was hidden by his dull pink hair.

"Darkness?" Xaldin questioned. "You're sure about this?"

"Positive." I answered before Marluxia could.

"I regret informing you that we don't have a weapon to suit that. Quite simply, you'll have to fight with your powers alone." Xaldin didn't give me another word, and he presumably didn't give my power another thought.

Marluxia and I went to the grounds yet again, and proceeded with minimal training. All of the sudden, Borynx rushed out of the castle. Her long hair bounced in a loosely-curled pony tail trailing to her waist, and her green eyes were coated with concern.

"What's up?" Marluxia asked.

"It's the human." She panted out. "It's Lydia." Instantly, I rushed past her. Though I wasn't very strong, I was fast and accurate. At this point, I was frantic. Upon reaching the main hall, I saw a bloody trail, along with Lydia's body. Her throat was slit, and her face contorted into a painful expression. I began screaming my heart out, and the bright noon sun outside faded. The sky turned black, and light was scarce, but I didn't care. Lydia, the only sister I ever had was dead. I cradled her body in my arms, and Marluxia and Borynx came up to me.

"Noxe, she's dead. Just leave the body." Borynx said sympathetically.

"Shut up!" I screeched. "Just shut up!"

"Noxe, you're getting soaked. You have to put her dow-"

"Shut up!" my shadow rose up around me, swirling like a tornado. All of the sudden, a second shadow rose up with mine, and began to calm it. The shadow, which by now could visibly be identified as Lydia's shadow, sank to the ground with mine next to it. "Just shut up…" I sobbed.

"Borynx, clean up the body. Noxe, you're coming with me." Marluxia said calmly. Before I could object, he began prying me away from Lydia.

"No! Let me go!" I yelled, squirming. Being stronger, Marluxia pulled me away, and as he slung me over his shoulder, I gave up. All I could do was cry.

Marluxia carried me through the corridors to my room, walked in the doorway, set me down, and shut the door.

"Noxe, you need to calm down. Lydia is dead. There's no changing that."

"Have you ever, _ever_ cared about anyone?" I sobbed out. "She was everything to me! She was my sister! No one could ever replace her!" I flopped on my bed and buried my face in the sheets. I felt Maluxia sit down beside me, and he pulled me onto his lap with my he sideways on his chest. His finger ran through my brown hair.

"Shhh…" he coaxed.

"Tell me I'm dreaming… please…" I managed to say, choking. Marluxia didn't say anything, but he kissed the top of my head comfortingly.


	5. Chapter 5

_Chapter Five: Secrets of the Body_

It took two days for me to even go near anyone but Marluxia. A day after that, I started eating again. A total of five days after Lydia's death, I demanded to see the body.

"What would you want with it?" Vexen asked inquisitively. His ice blue eyes twitched in a strangely random pattern, but his straight, light brown hair was completely in order.

"I need to find who killed her."

"And then?"

"Easy." I said. "Torture them until they beg for death. Then I'd give it to them." After saying this, Vexen giggled.

"I like the way you think. Follow me."

Vexen walked me to a completely white room. Inside, there was only a large black table in the very center. The table boasted Lydia's body with a white sheet laying over it. "Primary analysis shows that, quite simply, she bled to death from the wound in her throat." I folded the sheet down so her head and shoulders were sticking out. Her body was completely preserved. Her face, now in a relaxed position, was a milky white. Running my bare hands through her hair, I let a single tear slip out of my eye.

"What does further analysis show? Can you tell what kind of weapon did this?" at this point, I was regaining a frantic attitude.

"Secondary analysis is to be conducted tomorrow." Covering up the body and walking out of the room, I said

"Call me down when you get the results."

Vexen agreed to this, and I only waited. As much as everyone urged me to eat and drink, I wouldn't touch a single thing. Not until the final results came up. After two days of analyzing the body, Vexen requested me in the Morgue.

Rushing in with surprising gusto, I cut straight to my point.

"When did she die, what killed her, and who wields it?" I said irritably.

"Going straight for the kill, eh?" I shot him a dirty look. "Sorry, sorry… it's just a manner of speaking. No pun intended." Vexen said. His typical daily insanity streaks seemed to be at their low point now.

"Give me the facts, or I swear, I'll-"

"Don't get hasty, now. She died approximately a minute and a half before you reached her. The weapon… well, it's a rather unique weapon…"

"Good. Tracking the killer down will be easier." I said. I wanted revenge, and I wanted it now. To hell with everybody else.

"It's a little more unique than that. I haven't heard of a weapon like this in years… not since Xion and Roxas left Organization XIII."

"You don't mean-"

"But I do. Your sister, your friend- what's her name again? Ah, Lydia- was killed by a keyblade."


	6. Chapter 6

_Chapter Six: Midnight Flight_

A keyblade. My sister, Lydia, was killed by a keyblade, of all weapons. The only four people who were known to wield keyblades were King Mickey, Sora, Roxas, and Xion. There simply couldn't be anyone else.

But how could I get revenge on them? King Mickey was in the middle of a high-class kingdom that I had no hope of reaching. Sora was too "goody-goody" to even think about killing an innocent, let alone a mute teenage girl. Roxas and Xion had fled the Organization never to be seen. What could I do?

As everyone went to bed, I couldn't sleep. Lydia's death was irreversible, and it was consuming me. I decided to walk the grounds; I always think better when I'm moving. When I neared the garden, I could only stare at the sight. The moon looked massive in the sky, and it was stained a blood red. And then it hit me. It couldn't have been just one person—it had to be everyone! The reason I couldn't get any definitive data was because it was just Sora or Roxas or Xion or King Mickey—it was all of them! I had to get to the Disney Castle. They had to pay for Lydia's death.

How to get there, how to get there? I had no idea how to summon a Dark Corridor, and I had no ship to pilot. But I had the darkness. I called the shadows around me- shadows of the trees, of the flowers, and of the castle itself- and I sprouted them out on my back as wings. They were the deepest dark, the shadiest shadow, and the most infinite black.

Flying past stars and worlds, it must have been midday before I reached Disney Castle. Hovering over it, I held my hands in front of me. I thought of everything with my eyes clenched shut: Leaving Lydia, finding her dead, not being able to save her. When I opened them, there was a chorus of screams. A black globe of shadow and hate was before me. The crowd echoed countless pleas for mercy.

"Please, don't do this!"

"This is my home!"

"Please, we've done nothing to you!" The last phrase simply set me off.

"Nothing? You've done nothing?" I shrieked. Giving a shrug, I said, "Oh well."

My mercy had dried up along with my patience, and most likely my sanity as well. I dropped the sphere onto the castle, crushing most of the towers. The East and West Wings were destroyed in the subsequent explosion. Feeling drained, I gave a satisfied laugh and flew back to the Castle that Never was.


	7. Chapter 7

_Chapter Seven: Forbidden Love_

By now, my hatred had faded. I was satisfied with my result, and I was able to be myself again. When I got back to the castle, it was midnight yet again. I dropped in my bed and slept until noon the next morning, when Marluxia entered my room.

"What were you thinking?" He yelled.

"Wha… what?" I was still groggy.

"You decimated Disney Castle! You could've been ki—" he regained his composure and changed his sentence. "I mean, you could have killed one of the spies Xemnas has in the castle."

"Hold on a sec. You mean to tell me that while I was out destroying a castle, you were worried that _I_ was going to get hurt, rather than the hundreds of people around it?" I was both confused at and proud of the fact that I could formulate such a question so soon after waking.

"Well… yes. Organization XIII needs as many members as it can get." He stuttered out. At this point, his rosy cheeks matched the color of his flower-colored hair.

"Marluxia, why are you—"

"I'm not blushing." He was a terrible liar. "I just have a fever."

"First of all, I question that you can even _get_ a fever. Second, how'd you know I was going to say 'blushing'?"

"You're blushing, too!" He blurted out childishly. If I wasn't blushing before, I sure as hell was now. Before I could think of a witty response, Marluxia leapt toward me, pressing his lips against mine. When he discontinued the kiss, he stepped back calmly.

"You had me worried. Don't be so reckless." Marluxia left the room and locked the door for me.

I was still completely dazed. Deciding that it was probably a dream, I set my head back down. That couldn't have happened. Not in reality. Right?


	8. Chapter 8

_Chapter Eight: Radiant Gardens_

I didn't exactly get why I was in the Radiant Gardens. Xemnas advised that I come here, and insisted that I would meet someone who interested me.

The whole area was full of life. The pink castle in the center was like a giant flower arising in the middle of the green fields. There were trees, fountains, rivers, and sidewalks; all were accompanied by their respective flora and fauna. Walking through, I didn't really see anything that interested me. Until, of course, I reached Hollow Bastion. Hollow Bastion, being the rundown part of Radiant Gardens, was full of beggars and thieves. Alone on the sidewalk, I saw a little girl who couldn't have been more than three. She looked utterly alone, and, thinking of myself after Lydia's murder, I sat next to her.

"What's your name?" The little girl looked away shamefully. "Come on, don't be frightened. I'm not going to hurt you."

"Monica. My name's Monica." If angels existed, there was one in her throat.

"Where are your parents?" I asked. She did nothing but glance at a nearby mass grave. Comforting her as best as I could, we talked for an hour and a half.

"Do you want to come back and live with me?" I said gently. I couldn't leave her in Hollow Bastion to rot. Gleaming a shy smile at me, she said,

"Okay! Just let me grab my book!" She ran off to get it before I could act. All of the sudden, somebody ran into my back. Literally.

Falling forward, my arms broke my fall. I got up and brushed the dirt off and looked at my would-be attacker.

"Eon! Is it really you?" The boy was maybe sixteen or seventeen, with brown hair and cheerful eyes. I wanted to gut him the moment I saw him.

"Who in God's name are you?" I asked. He stared at me for a second, and then harshened his tone.

"You're with _them_ now?" I was puzzled.

"If by them, you mean Organization XIII, then yes. I will now reiterate my first question: Who are you?" Before he could answer, I saw what was in his hand. He was holding a keyblade. A _keyblade_. I instantly wrapped my hands around his neck, and was preparing to sever his head with a shadow when Monica called.

"I got it! Let's go!" I let go, and he stumbled back, coughing.

"If I ever see you again, I will kill you." I cast off my dark emotions and placed on a smile. Picking up Monica and her book, which could now be identified as a low-level Lexicon, I sprouted my wings and departed back to the Castle That Never Was to report my findings.


	9. Chapter 9

_Chapter Nine: Nighttime Angel_

***Please note that this story is going on at the same time as Black Ace33's "My Heartless Story"***

Monica and I arrived at the Castle That Never Was in the early evening. Xemnas was waiting outside the castle, but as soon as he swathe bundle in my arms, his happy smile faded into displeasure. I landed on the ground a few feet before him, kneeling and holding on to Monica, who was asleep.

"What is _that_?"

"This is Monica. I wish to keep her with me."

"You simply took her?"

"She had no family to speak of. Please… consider this a one-time favor." I was willing to fight Xemnas to keep her. She was like the sister I could never protect, the niece I never had.

"That would depend on your findings." His displeasure was slowly subsiding. I rose to my feet, still clutching Monica close.

"There was a boy. He was around my age, and he had a keyblade with him. He said he knew me, and he knew my old name."

"Did you know him?"

"Not at all." In truth, I really didn't know him. I didn't even know anyone like him. Gesturing to Monica, Xemnas gave a sigh.

"She's your responsibility. She stays in your quarters, and if you do _anything_, she's gone." I gulped. Nervously, I carried her through the halls. I was greeted, one by one, by each of the curious Nobodies; all of them had similar reactions, first questioning her age and then if she had a heart.

When I reached my room, I set her down in my bed, and when I turned, I came face to face with Marluxia.

"Holy—!" My heart took a moment to calm down. "Damn it, Marluxia, don't do that. What do you need?"

"Come with me." He said firmly. He grasped my hand tightly, and started dragging me through corridors until we reached a ladder out to the roof. Marluxia and I climbed it, and when we were outside, I couldn't wait any longer.

"What do you need?" I was quite curious by now.

"Look." He only said one word, but what he was showing me meant so much more. He pointed up in the sky, and the scene was beautiful. The sky had only a few small clouds, and glimmering around them were thousands of blue-white stars dotted like angels in the heavens. The moon seemed to be at the center of them all, shining down a brilliant white. I didn't want to look away so badly that I laid down on the roof and just stared.

"It's gorgeous!" I cheered. Marluxia laid down next to me, and before I knew it, my head was resting on his chest. So badly, I never wanted that night to end. It was my short period of utter heaven in this hell of a castle.


	10. Chapter 10

_Chapter 10: Tonight the Sky Burns_

When I woke up, I was laying down on a bed with a black comforter and white pillows. The walls were totally white with black woodwork at the top and bottom. There was a black desk with white drawers across from the bed, and on the wall opposing the door, there was an open balcony with potted roses on it.

Pulling the sheets around my bare body, I looked over on the desk. There was a note:

_Sorry, Noxe. I got called out on a mission. I checked on your 'little girl'. She's still asleep holding that book. I took the liberty of putting one of your uniforms under the bed—see you later!_

He didn't bother writing his name, as always. He only drew a bouquet.

I put on my uniform, made the bed, and went straight to check on Monica. Before I could get to my room, I saw Xigbar approach. His dark brown hair was put back in his usual ponytail, his yellow eyes were as serious as always, and his scars were as deep and dark as ever.

"Borynx is watching after the girl. We need you outside of the castle to deal with the 'visitor'." He didn't even have to say it was the keyblade wielder; I knew it was. Rushing through the corridors, I flew out the door and slightly upward. Walking toward the castle were the keyblade wielder and Axel. Axel, who had quit the organization years before, was already fighting with Demyx. Other than their sea-blue eyes, they were in perfect contrast: calm brown hair against raging red hair. A sharp, cutting metal weapon against a finely crafted instrument of wood.

"Eon, you should get out of here." The keyblade wielder said to me. I giggled a little.

"You don't know what you're getting into. I held up my hand and shot out the purest darkness I could think up. It shot out at him, but his accurse keyblade blocked the blow. Damn it!

"I don't want to do this…" He said. He was still approaching me. For a half an hour, we went on battling. Whatever I threw at him, the god damned keyblade could block it.

"You're nothing! Nothing, you hear? Without that weapon, you'd be defenseless!" I lunged for his throat, wrapping my shadow around my hand and spinning it like a drill. On the third shot, I hit his shoulder. The wound wasn't especially deep, but it injured some tendons, limiting his left shoulder's movement. There was also a decent amount of blood, and it all went splashing on me. "See? Just one hit—just _one hit_!" But I wasn't being cautious.

"Look out!" Demyx shouted, but it was too late. Axel shot a huge gust of blue flame at me, and it lit me up. Screaming, I dropped on my knees as the flames ate away at my wings and my flesh. My shrieks echoed throughout the World That Never Was, and as the lights faded from my vision, I saw Marluxia and Xemnas come up in front of the intruders. Axel said something to the keyblade wielder, and then they both turned and left.

I slipped away from consciousness.


	11. Chapter 11

_Chapter Eleven: Bedridden_

It only seemed like seconds until I woke up. I was in my room, in my bed. Around me were Marluxia, Monica, Demyx, and Borynx.

"Wh… what time is it?" It looked like somebody zapped Monica with a Thundaga.

"He's awake! He's awake!" Monica was yelling. She wrapped her arms around my neck and gave me a kiss on the cheek.

"Hey there, sleepy head." Demyx said with a guilty look. "Sorry about Axel…"

"It's fine." I said dryly. "Can I have some water?" Borynx grabbed me some orange juice. Handing it to me, I noticed my whole body was coated in a few layers of gauze. Taking a sip, I asked, "How long was I out?"

"As of now?" Marluxia asked. I nodded. "Seven months, two weeks, six days, four hours, and five minutes." I almost squirted the juice out of my nose.

"That long?"

"You've got to keep in mind, Noxe. You were burning for at _least _two minutes in blue fire. You were pretty crispy." Robyn said. Her eyes didn't meet mine, though.

"What's wrong? You seem like you've got something on your mind." I asked. The others agreed.

"My power is manipulating emotions. I can read how someone's feeling and change it, which can influence the outcome of a battle." She paused. "Actually, it can affect if the battle even happens. When I read your emotions, they were so…"

I knew at least eighteen words that could fit. Dark. Hateful. Spiteful. Everyone in the room was probably able to finish that sentence for her.

"When can I get up?" They all gaped at me.

"You were charred to death, almost, and your first waking thought is moving around?" Marluxia was pretty shocked. "I suppose it isn't more reckless than the Disney Castle incident…" If it was physically possible, everyone's jaw dropped lower.

"That was _you_?" Demyx simply couldn't believe it. " I… I need to take a walk…" This revelation must have been mind boggling for Demyx. Borynx grabbed Monica's hand and started walking.

"Here, sweetie, let's go, too." Borynx winked at me over her shoulder. I put my head on the pillow, starting to nod off (probably from remaining anesthesia). Marluxia didn't say a word, but he crawled under the sheets to hold me in his arms.


	12. Chapter 12

_Chapter Twelve: Magic Lessons_

Monica, who had recently become obsessed with protecting me, called me out to the grounds. I expected to be asked to play with dolls or something, but I got so much more.

"I'm gonna teach you magic!" Monica said in her energetic childish vigor. All I could say was,

"What?" Of course, it did make sense that Monica knew magic. After all, she had a Lexicon. She must have decided to show off what she could do, as she turned, pointed to the sky, and brought down a huge bolt of lightning. I jumped a little, and then decided to go for it.

'What do we start with?"

"First, sit down like _this_. Next, do_ this_…" Monica walked me through each step, making sure I had it perfected before moving on. Finally, I was ready to cast.

"Okay, just close your eyes and think. Think like fire or like ice or like thunder. Then, try and do it!"

I closed my eyes, and I thought cold. Chilling. Freezing. Bit by bit, my thoughts unleashed themselves. I opened them, and holding my hand forward, I cast my first spell.

"Blizzard!" There was a spine-tingling display of instantly-frozen energy. My power and skill was advancing, and soon enough, I could kill the keyblade bearer, along with anyone else in my way.

Before I could do anything else, Monica and I were surrounded by a swarm of Heartless.

My memories started flashing back to Lydia. If I couldn't save Monica, I wouldn't have a heart to give her. She would be gone forever.

Monica, trying to cast a spell, was too panicky to do so. She started screaming, and I pulled her as close as I could. I wasn't going to lose her.

One by one, I froze the Heartless and shattered them. But one by one wasn't enough. They were piling up faster than I could freeze them. My mind was flooded: Lydia dying, me not saving her, the same thing happening to Monica… It was too much all at once. I shrieked to the sky, and the entire castle was covered in a white frost. The Heartless were frozen into a solid wall. I fell to my knees, panting. My body felt drained of almost all my energy. Marluxia came in, shattering the wall.

"Are you okay? Both of you?" Monica nodded for me. "What was that?" Monica responded in a whisper.

"Blizzaga." She seemed both excited and frightened by my skill at magic and my lack of control. Borynx, who was becoming a sort of mother to Monica, came and took her by the hand, shooting Marluxia a nervous glance.

"Come on, honey. Let's go get some cookies." Borynx was being a good parent. Marluxia carried me back to his room, and after I recovered my strength, I put on my nighttime clothes and curled up with him in bed.

The events of today had been both catastrophic and revealing: I had intense magic skill and power, but absolutely no control.


	13. Chapter 13

_Chapter Thirteen: What to do?_

As I expected, everyone in the castle heard about the Heartless incident. However, I did not anticipate that it would cause Xemnas to act. Apparently, Heartless being able to infiltrate even the grounds meant that balance was offset. Calling all of Organization XIII (and Monica) down to the Great Hall, Xemnas made his proposal.

"I know that some of you may oppose my decision…" He glanced at me. "…but it is necessary for the organization's progress and prosperity. We are going to have to make a temporary alliance with the keyblade bearer. I shot straight up, outraged.

"We're fighting _with_ him? That's preposterous! How can you possibly expect me to meet such atrocious expectations?" I was one more move from trying to blow Xemnas' head off and lead the organization myself.

"Calm down, Noxe!" Borynx whispered hastily in my ear. I sat down, filled with rage. "You can kill him afterward." I could deal with that.

"Now that we're past _that_, I suppose I should also mention that we'll have to work with some of our old… 'teammates'." At this, Borynx shot up.

"You want me to work with Axel? _Axel_?" Whispering in her ear, I said,

"You should really take your own advice." I, for one, assumed that this meant we'd have to find them all and bring them in, but much to my (and probably everyone else's) surprise, all of the other Nobodies and the lone keyblade bearer walked into the room. Axel, Luxord, Larxene, Roxas, Xion, the keyblade bearer, the human Kairi, the human Riku, and the witch, Naminé walked into the room. I could handle them all at once, but now there were _three _keyblade bearers to kill. One by one, Xemnas had each member of Organization XIII escort a guest (or guests) to their room. Luckily, I didn't have to escort Xion, Roxas, or the boy, whose name was James, I was told.

"This castle's changed a lot since I was here." Larxene said calmly. "Do I get a map or something?" I ended up giving her and Naminé my map, which I no longer had any use for. With my curiosity getting the better of me, I had to ask Larxene something.

"Why did you leave Organization XIII? You had a good position going as No. XII, from what I hear."

"I don't really remember. All I know is that it was a good reason."

"Maybe it was me." Naminé said cutely, giving Larxene a kiss on the cheek.

We kept chatting until I got them to their room safely, and then I left to see Marluxia. He was standing on his balcony under the moonlight. Something didn't feel right.

"Marluxia? What's wrong?" I began approaching him. He just kept looking out into the distance. I stepped in front of him. "What are you looking at? I don't see anything."

"You just don't get it do you?" He said solemnly. I raised an eyebrow. "Nobody wants you here. We're all sick of you and your petty little games. Even Monica is." I felt like I had a dinosaur in my throat. Marluxia wasn't kidding. That much, I could tell. All he had to do was give me a little tap, and I flew off the balcony like paper in a storm.

I didn't bother growing my wings. If nobody wanted me, what purpose did I have? All I could do is cry and fall from the eighteenth floor of the castle to the grounds. After all, nobody could really love a Nobody, right?


	14. Chapter 14

_Chapter Fourteen: The Comatose Angel_

When I was first found, it was by Naminé, who was wandering the grounds the next morning. She found me on the ground, and carried me, broken and bleeding, to the Great Hall, where she found aid in the form of Vexen. The two tended to my crippled body, but I didn't move. I didn't want to.

With whatever amount of life I had left in me, I was still here. But I didn't care about being here. What was the purpose of life if the whole castle was simply living a facade? There was no sense in anything anymore. All I wanted to do was lay in bed and waste away.

Visitors came by daily, sometimes even hourly. Because Monica had become more adept at magic than she was when Axel charred me, I was back up in a week and a half. Still, I hardly moved. I would lay in hiding spots all day and wander the halls at night, hoping to die.

One night, Marluxia found me stalking a butterfly hopelessly through the halls.

"Noxe, what's wrong? You're not talking to anybody, you're not eating, you're not sleeping… is there anything you _are_ doing anymore? What happened to you?" There was no hiding the concern in his voice, but could I really believe it? I decided to say my first words in a long while.

"You… you were the one… you pushed me…" I said slowly. My voice was a rusty and unfamiliar sound by now. With tears flowing silently out of my eyes, I left him. He was stunned, just staring down the middle of the corridor. How could he not remember pushing me off the edge? He even had a small, twisted smile when he did it.

Day by day, Marluxia would try to prove to me that it wasn't him. He had alibis, witnesses, even mission assignments. There was no end to his attempts. But to what extent? Was he just playing a sick little game of cat and mouse, waiting for me to heal to break me again? By now, my anger at the keyblade bearers had dissipated. If I didn't want to live, what sense was there in fulfilling my wants?

One night, in remembrance of Lydia, I was walking out under the Harvest Moon. Her shadow stood next to mine, following my every step. Marluxia was out, tending to a few roses he had planted (most likely to convince me). I stood and looked for a moment. Was he telling the truth? Plenty of strong Heartless could have mimicked Marluxia and done the job, and even more Nobodies could have tried to kill me. I decided on a second chance. Living was no longer an instinct. My life, or what was left of it, would be spent finding out the truth (or untruth) in Marluxia's words to me.

Before I could tell him my resolution, the unthinkable happened. Ansem, the leader of the Heartless, stood before Marluxia, with his blade through Marluxia's chest.

My voice rang out in a scream, and I charged toward the awaiting Ansem, smiling at me with vicious eyes.


	15. Chapter 15

_Chapter Fifteen: the Master of Darkness_

To little effect, I lunged at Ansem while in flight. Even if I couldn't beat him, I could buy some time for the still possibly guilty Marluxia to get away. Getting sick of my stalling, Ansem made the smallest motion with his arm, sending me flying and breaking one of my ribs. He was ridiculously strong, and even more ruthless.

"It's a shame you had to decide to forgive him. Otherwise, I could have let our little game of Clue run on a little longer." My first reaction was wondering how the hell he knew what I was thinking, and my second completely altered my wanting to live, or rather my lack of. Marluxia hadn't pushed me out that window—it was Ansem, or at least one of Ansem's cronies.

With newfound courage (or stupidity) I lunged at Ansem again. Injuries no longer meant anything. Somebody wanted me here—alive. I had a purpose, and I wasn't going to let someone attack that purpose.

With as much strength as I could, I pulled all the darkness in my body to my heart. Anything and everything I could muster blasted out in a single shockwave of shadow. There wasn't a star in the sky nor a light in the castle that didn't flicker for a moment, even if it just appeared to do so.

"Quit pestering me!" Ansem blasted me aside, like a spider knocking a butterfly's carcass off of its web. I didn't feel anything, but the blow made a number of loud cracking sounds in my body. Looking on the ground around me, I saw a crimson puddle, realizing it was my blood. Oh well.

Before Ansem could make another move, Xemnas barged out of the castle doors.

"Ansem, I'm so glad you could make it. But it seems there's an issue—you aren't invited to our little get together." He now stood between Ansem and us.

"Oh? Well, I suppose I'll leave then. But don't take this the wrong way: I'll be back, Xemnas. I'll be back, and I'll kill you all." He stepped back and disappeared into the shadows. That was it? Ansem just _left_? I couldn't believe it. Xemnas walked over to me.

"Are you alright?" I shrugged.

"There's definitely something broken, but I can't quite feel it." I nodded toward Marluxia. "Just make sure he's okay."

Back in the castle, Larxene came up to me with Monica and Borynx. Though she was only six, Monica looked at least ten.

"Ansem was here? What for?" Larxene asked spastically. She seemed excited that something was actually happening in the castle that she cared about. All I could do was shake my head.

"I don't know. How is Marluxia?" Xemnas had me put in my room and Marluxia in his. This time, Borynx spoke.

"He's fine. He got hurt a lot less than you."

"Thank god…" I said, giving a relieved sigh. Larxene shot me an accusatory glance.

"Are you two…?" I nodded. "You mean you and Marluxia…?" I nodded again. "No way!" Apparently she thought Marluxia was going to die alone, and die a virgin, at that. At this point, Naminé had walked in.

"At least we're not the _only_ gender-challenged couple in the castle." Larxene hit her lightly on the shoulder.

"Who're you calling 'gender-challenged'?" Though it wasn't the same, I couldn't have been more ecstatic about the castle and its inhabitants. For the first time in a long while, I didn't feel alone. I could do anything and know that someone in the castle still loved me. For the first time since Lydia's death, I was completely and utterly happy


	16. Chapter 16

_Chapter Sixteen: the End of Dreams_

With Monica's ever growing magic skills, I was, yet again, on my feet in no time. We all began settling in like a huge family for the first time in forever. Everyone in the Castle That Never Was understood everyone else for the first time ever. Before long, Xemnas called a meeting. This time, he did not bear his usual smirk, which was completely horrifying. Only something much stronger than Xemnas himself could make him drop his ego for even a second.

"As you all know, Ansem, in the form of Xehanort, was on our grounds." This was common knowledge, but he decided to reiterate it anyway. "Xehanort shouldn't have been able to come into the World That Never Was, let alone the castle. I think we should all be on guard for _the day_ to come." I was confused, but Vexen gasped.

"You don't mean—"

"But I do." Xemnas' serious tone chilled my blood. "The End of Dreams is upon us." I almost passed out. Through the whole group, everyone from James to Xaldin was unnerved. "When the End of Dreams comes, the final battle will be upon us. Xehanort, DiZ, and an army of Heartless will be our enemies."

After Xemnas had concluded his strategy and preparation conference, we were all left to wait. Feeling light-headed, I decided to take a walk outside with Naminé. As casually as I could, I said,

"So… what's up?"

"You're worried, aren't you? About the final battle?" I nodded.

"If… if something goes wrong, what will I do? For the first time since… well, since ever, I guess, I'm content. I'm with people I love in a place I enjoy."

"And you don't want it to change, do you?" clearly, Naminé had some insight on this topic. "I understand. I don't know what I'd do if Larxene was hurt. I'm sure you feel the same way about Marluxia." Again, I nodded. "Why don't we go on a field trip to calm your nerves?" talking to Naminé made me feel comfortable, and her cheery smile made the only answer possible 'yes'.

"How about to Wonderland. Just the two of us?" I asked. This time, _she_ was doing the nodding. Since she couldn't fly there, I simply opened up a Dark Corridor. After arriving in the Land of Dragons, then Atlantica, and then the Olympus Coliseum, we finally made it.

"It's your first time trying, huh?"

"Shut up!" I said jokingly. Looking around, we were on a field with grass patches that were cut to look like a chess board. Off in the distance, I could see the Queen of Hearts' castle, all red and, though made of hearts, vicious. Throughout the whole day, Naminé and I ran around, greeting the Cheshire Cat, the Mad Hatter, and several other Wonderland inhabitants. All we could think of doing was skipping around and having fun making nonsense make sense.

Finally, Naminé and I stumbled upon a cave that, quite simply, didn't look like it belonged there. We had to look inside—how couldn't we? When we walked in, there was nothing. Nothing, that is, except a Lexicon-sized book resting in the center of the bluish cave on a pedestal.

"What is it?" The Nobody Witch asked inquisitively. "Touch it!" I had to oblige. When I did, I felt a surge through my body. Instantly, the book flew open and stopped within five seconds. I looked at the page, written in an archaic text, and wondered what language it was. Before I could ask for Naminé's aid, the letters rearranged themselves into a language I could understand—English.

"What is it?" Naminé's happy voice faded into a more serious tone, and she took my side.

"It's… I think it's an encyclopedia of weapons. On every pair of pages, there was a drawing of a weapon and a description of what it was, where it came from, and how to wield it. Without thinking, I held it up and opened it toward a wall. A barrage of swords and maces stabbed out of the pages and retracted.

"Woah." Was all I could say. With such little time left before what was supposed to be the final battle, I had found a weapon. Now, how to wield it?


End file.
